Support



Oct. 14, 1930. P. F. wHlTTlER ET Al. y1,778,700

SUPPORT Filed Deo. 19, 1928 Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL F. WHITTIER, SIDNEY B. WHITTIER, AND ROGER K. ,WHITTIEIL CHATTA- HOOCHEE, GEORGIA SUPPORT Application led December 19, 1928. Serial No. 327,112.

This invention relates to supports, and is particularly concerned with that type of support which is adapted to be clamped to a flange or flanges on a conventional beam or girder for suspending heavy objects such as pipes, shafts, motors and electrical fittings from the beam. It is an object of this invention to simplify and improve the construction and operation of supports of this character.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a support for clamping engagement with a beam flange in which the clamping action is increased by the application of a load, such as the weight of the member supported thereby.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a support which requires no machinin g but which is nevertheless adapted for effective clamping engagement n ith the flange of a beam regardless of slight variations in the thiekness of the latter.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following descripf' tion taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which.:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing a pair of supports attached to Va conventional beam for suspending a shaft hanger therefrom; Figure V2.is a side view of the structure shown in F ig. lwith a portion of the support in section;

Figure 3 is a detail of a construction similar to that shown in'Fig. 1, but in which the suspending' bolts have been arranged immediately below the beam, rather than offset therefrom; V

Figure 1 is an end view of one of the elements of the supports shown in the preceding` figures; Y l

Figure :3 is a detailed. perspective-view of an elementof the type s iown in 3;

Figure 6 shows a modified forni of support;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 6;

Figure 8V illustrates the application of a support to a channel section;

Figure 9'is a diagrammatic view of a clamp element and beam;

Fiffure 10 is an end view of a further modification of a supporting element; and

Figure 11'is a section on the line 11-11 of Figure 10.

This application is a continuation in part of our copending' application Serial No. 220,030, tiled September 16, 1927, and'embodies a number of the improvements contained in that application together with further improvements whichrender the device simpler to construct, easier to install, and more positive in operation.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, one embodiment of the improved support is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which a shaft 10, journaled in a shaft hanger indicated generally at 11, is suspended from and transversely of an Lbeam 12. It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the suspension of shaft hangers and shafts, but is adapted to the supporting of various heavy members such as pipes, motors,

or electrical fittings, and that the specific construction of the shaft hanger disclosed herein therefore constitutes no part of the invention and is not described with particularity.

In order that the shaft may be hung transversely of the beam, a pair of supports indicated at 15 have been illustrated in Fig. 1. As is disclosed in my copending application Vabove referred to, a singlel support may be used in the event that the shaftis to be suspended parallel with the beam, or adifferent type of hanger, requiring the use of only one support, may be provided.

Each supportl may comprise a pair of elements 17 whi-ch'serve to gripor clamp the lower flange of the beam 12 and-which are retained in clamping position on the flange by the provision of means for connecting the elements. ln the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this means comprises a plurality of clamp bolts 19 which are seated in grooves orV recesses 20 formed in the lower face of each clampelement 17. It will be under-stood that a single bolt 19 may suffice to .retain the clamp elements in position on the flange, but it is preferable to use at least two ot` thesebolts for the purpose of obtaining added strength and safety. Fig. 2 shows a construction which permits the adjustment of the shaft hanger or other rmember supported ico from the beam to various positions beneath or laterally of the beam, and for this pur-- pose one of the elements 17 is formed with an extension 2l. .il nl--shaped slot 2Q extends longitudinally of the element li' and eXtension 2l and is adapted receive a bolt 24 to which the hanger or other supported element may be secured. rlhis wi`-shaped slot is of such size tl .iat tae head of the bolt 24 is received snugly therein in such manner as to permit adjustment of the bolt to various positions along the slot but to prevent any rotation thereof.

Since the clamp bolts 19 are disposed loosely in the grooves Q0 .'n the ower faces of the elements l'?, ineans )reitera ily in the form of a plate 25 is provide@ to retain 'these bolts in operative position in die grooves. This plate is in turn retainedV in engagement with the lower of the elen'ient l by the bolt Q7 which. is seated in the T-shaped slot 22 and is providedwvith a nut 28 or other suitable means for engaging the plate Q6.

Each of the elements 1'? is prorided with an upstanding lug 30 extending over the lower flange of the beam l2 and adapted to Contact with the upper edge only ofthe beam. For this purpose each lug is preferably formed on its innerI side with a substantially flat surface 32 which is inclined toward the bof y of the beam. The degree of inclination of this surface is such that the application of a load to either of 'the eements l? tending to rock the element about the point of contact 33 of the body portion thereof with the loiver face of the beam, serves to Wedge the element outwardly of the beam, thereby tensioning the clamp bolts lf) and increasing the grip of the element on the beam flange. The novel arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 9 ofthe drawing which con't"tiites a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the clamp cooperates With the beam. The force exerted by tlie tensioned clamp boltlf) tends to move the clamp element to the left in this figure. forcing the lug 30 inwardly and upwardly, Whereas the effect of the load on the bolt 2li, due to the Weight of the supported member, tends to move the lng to the right, and downwardly, by reason of the inclination of the surface 32, thereby opposing the action of the bolt 19 and further increasing its tension with the resultant increase in gripping action of the element and cooperating parte on the beam..

lt Will thus be seen that by reason of the peculiar construction of the contactingpor- 'tion of the lugs 8G, the supporting` of heavier shafts or other member-s from the beam Will result in causing the support to clamp the beam more securely thus providing a mazzimum of safety. m construction further 7 ilus permits the use of the support With beams having various thicknesses of flange, the thicker fla-ges c nta ting with the inclined surface at a point more remote from the body portion of the element. Further, the construction permits the casting of the element in one piece without the necessity of subsequent machining of any part thereof, since the element'is not required to accurately tit the beam flange.

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the construction disclosed in Fig. l which is adapted to permit the suspension of the supported member directly below the beam. For this purpose the opposing clamp elements 17 are forn'ied identically, each being provided With the T-sllaped slot 'for the reception of the member supporting bolt. lt Will be seen that y slight adjustment of the supported member longitudinally of the elements is permitted, but the arrangement is not designed to allowv extensive Aadjustment of 'the member laterally of the beam. One or more clamp bolts 1S) used to retain the elements 1T in position on the beam, but 'it Will be noted that the efl'ect of applying a load to the member supporting bolts QA- Will serve to force the elements into closer engagement with thc beam flange, and thereby increase the tension on the clamp bolts 19 with resulting increase in the rigidity of the support as hereinbefore described.

(i shows a. modiication of the foregoing constructions in which one of the elcments l? has been replaced by a hooked bolt Which also serves the function of retaining the element l? in position on the flange au'l thus constitutes an ell'ective substitute not only for one of the elements 17, but for the bolt 19 as well. As in the preceding constructions, it is preferable to use at least tivo of these hooked bolts 3afor the purpose ot obtaining additional security and strength.

lt frequently happens that the foot or other portion ofthe supported member which engages the base of the element l? is not of sul'licient size to cover the grooves Q() in the element, to prevent displacement of the clamp bolts i9 from the grooves, Under such conditions, it is of course necessary to provide a plate 26, such has been described in connection with Figs. l and 2, to close the grooves, andthis plato may be conveniently placed beneath the foot or other portion of the supported member, as shown in F ig. 6, the member supporti bolt 2 serving to retain 'the member a plate in position on the lower face of the element.

lllhen the element 17 is secured ou the beam in tl e manner disclosed in Figure it is possible for the supporting bolt to loosei'i and 'to slip out of the support through the open end of the T-slapcd ln order to prevent the supporting bolt from Working out of the slot, the element 17 may be constructed shown il Figures -land 5, in which one side of the open end of the '5" slot lll() llll is closed as indicated at 23. This construetion is ordinarily not required in any ai'A rangement involving the use oi two facing supporting element-s 17, as for instance in Figure 3, in which there is no possibility oi displacement of the supporting bolts owing to the construction oi the supported mein-- ber which maintains the bolts in spaced relation.

Fig. 8 illustrates a different Jform oi the invention in which the support is applied to a channel section. For )oseV plying the support to a sectie i this a hole 36 is drilled or oth. r the channel section, and th formed with a hooked end o tyran fen the recess 36, disposed in the ot the element l?. lt will be noted that bolt serves to retain the element in posi?. i on the -flange ot the beam, l that the apr plication olf a load to the incinb ing bolt 2li will serve the saine 1 in the other forms oi" thn inv the increasing or the c beam vw'rliilc "ie :fiooes f ilor 'Y iviao the rv- "re cfamp bo are simple to construct and the snppoi' l c einent 'the plate to eilectirel A grooves, it soinetin es i o construct 'the cian er disclosed in Figures l0 :l i the slot 20 is closed at one end as indicated 40, and hole fil is provided` o receive tne clamp bolt4 i9. it will be s convenient in the 1 1 .1 Vv, ii. 1V e I.:Y tnat this auction imewise encor-ire p y nts displacement or tne clamp b r capable ol use in any7 L e ik noie oe ap the element il may used sa.: bul

' retain said means therein.

vention, but it is to be understood that ieee,VA

specilic embodiments are only illustrative and that the invention includes all such adaptations fall within the scope of the appended4 claims.

Having thus described the invention, whath is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. ln .a support tor suspending members Y from beams, the combination with a clamp element comprising a body portion adapted to lie beneath the lower flange of a beam, and

Vhaving one end in engagement therewith,

and an upwardly extending lug portion :tori'ned at the' other end of said body portion and having a surtace adapted tor directV engagement with the upper edge only ot the ilange, the upper portion of said lug entending inwardly toward the beam and the said f surface thereon being so inclined that downward swinging movement of said element about its point of engagement with the lower surface or' the flange serves to wedge the elenient in a direction away from the central A portion oit the beam, and means exerting tension between said element and another portion oif the beam for retaining the element in position on the beam, and means :tor supporting a load on said element outwardly of the point oit engagement oitl said element with Vthe upper edge of the flange wherebyv such load tends to slide the saidinclined surtace relatively to the iiange for increa ing the tension exerted by said lirst named means and thereby forcing said element more tightly into engagement iwith said flange.

2. in a support for attachment to a beam,

: the combination with a recessed element tor engaging the beam flange, of means for ei;-

erting 'tension on said element to retain the latter in position on the flange, a portion ofVv saidmeans being disposed in said recess, said lement being provided with a slot adapted to receive a hanger boltv therein, a'bolt in said slot, and a plate retained in position by said bolt and serving to close the said 3. in a support :tor attaching members to beams, the combination with a recessed element for engaging a beam fiange, of means si for exerting'tension on said element to retain@ the latter in engagement with said flange, L, a portion Voi' said means being disposed in said recess, said element being provided with 'V ai slot adapted to receive a bolt therein, a

plate adapted to close the said Vrecess to retain said means therein, anda bolt disposed in said slot and serving to secure a member to the element and to retain said plate in retaining position.

4.111 a clamp for securing members toi recess to beams a clamp element comprising a substantially fiat body portion adapted to lie beneath the loiver iange of said beam, an integral upwardly extending lug portion adapted to directly engage a portion of the upper part of said ange, the under side of said body being provided With a transverse groove adapted to receive a clamp bolt, and a T-shaped slot for receiving a member supporting bolt to permit sliding adjustment thereof along the slot, said bolt having a non-circular head to prevent rotation thereof Within said slot, and a plate tor closing said groove to retain said clamp bolt therein, said plate being adapted to be held in operative position by said member support-ing bolt.

5. ln a device adapted to be clamped on a flanged beam, the combination With an element tor engaging the beam flange and provided with a groove extending along a portion only oi that face of the element remote from the beam iange and an aperture constituting an extension of said groove and isolated trom the said tace, of means for exerting tension on said element to retain the latter in position on the flange, a portion of said means being disposed in said groove and said aperture.

G. ln a support for suspending members from beams, the combination of a clamp element comprising a body portion having an upper Jface adapted to engage and lie beneath the lower flange of a beam, and an upu'ardly extending lug portion having a sure adapted t-o engage the upper edge of the ne, and provided with a lower face oved throughout a portion only of its and having an aperture constituting an extension of said groove, and means eX- erting tension between said element and another portion of the beam tor retaining the element in position on the beam, a portion of said means lying in said groove and extending through said aperture.

7. ln a` clamp tor securing members to beams, a clamp element comprising a substantially dat body portion adapted to lie beneath the loiver flange of said beam, an integral upwardly extending lug portion adapted to directly engage a portion of the upper part ot said flange, the under side of said body portion being provided With a transverse groove adapted to receive a clamp bolt, d T-shaped slot for receiving a member supporting bolt to permit sliding adjustment thereoia along the slot, said bolt having a non-circular head to prevent rotation thereot within said slot, said slot being closed at both ends to prevent the bolt from moving ont oi the slot.

in testimony Whereoi2 We hereunto affix our signatures.

PAUL F. VHITTIER. SIDNEY B. VVHITTIER. ROGER K. VVHTTIER. 

